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When I try to "invent" a smile on the sitters face it looks wrong because I just make a kind of "C" moon shape of the mouth, but smiling is a much more complex process. So how do I prevent a person from looking too angry in a portrait? Or, what makes someone look friendly?



Hi, Bjorn,
Thats a great question. Youre right: most portrait clients dont want the portrait to look grim and serious. And as you say, most people just dont smile on command, nor do they smile all the time (naturally, at least). So often the default, relaxed position for someones face when its "under the microscope" of a portrait artist is rather serious. If we ask the subject to hold still for a long time, thats what well get—bored, sleepy, or grim.

The quick answer is not to worry about showing your subjects smiling. Think more about showing them in an animated expression that is characteristic, even if it isnt exactly a smile. They key is to keep the subject engaged and talking while you sketch them. They dont have to be smiling with their teeth showing, but if theyre animated while they interact with you, all the muscles around the mouth and eyes will create a much more interesting and characteristic expression.

If the person isnt naturally a smiler, that characteristic expression might be the lips slightly parted in speech or the eyebrows raised. Sargent often painted his subjects when they were speaking, with their lips slightly parted—especially Henry James and Vernon Lee. You will be able to observe those momentary expressions as they cross the subjects face naturally. Thats exactly what I demonstrate in the video, especially on the portrait of Scott Corey, who is talking non-stop throughout the portrait.

“In this clear, friendly tutorial, Gurney demonstrates the overlapping roles of observation and invention in portraying scenes of real life outside the studio. For artists at all skill levels, Gurney offers both a wealth of practical tips for making art under chaotic conditions, and a vivid example of the practice of seeing value and meaning in all people, places, and things.”
—Daniel Maidman

DVD (NTSC widescreen with slideshow) Available from Kunaki.com and from Amazon.